Up to know, little attention has been given to the development of liquid enteral nutritional compositions suitable for tube feeding which meet all of the above conditions (a), (b) and (c).
EP 1 972 345 A1 (Katry Inversiones) discloses a pea-based food product intended for enteral or oral nutrition containing a protein fraction with a specific amino acid profile, a lipid mixture, carbohydrates, soluble and insoluble fibre, vitamins and minerals, in particular a pea-based protein fraction consisting of 50 weight % caseinate, 25 weight % milk serum proteins and 25 weight % pea protein and a fat mixture containing specific fatty acid proportions. Although the nutritive qualities of the claimed food product are evaluated, no data are available on clinical complications when ingested by humans, in particular when used as a tube feed.
EP2073781 A2 (Nestec SA) discloses specific long term tube nutritional compositions for specific patient populations, such as elderly. Neither the nutritive qualities of the claimed food product are evaluated, nor data are available on clinical complications when ingested by humans, in particular when used as a tube feed.
Furthermore, it is known in literature that different proteins and fats can influence gastric emptying in a different way. For example, casein is coagulating in the stomach while whey proteins are not coagulating in the stomach. Hence, casein is regarded as a coagulation protein with slow gastric emptying properties and whey proteins are regarded as non-coagulating proteins with a much faster gastric emptying. It is unknown whether or not other proteins are coagulating in the stomach or whether or not they may influence gastric emptying.